French state-owned utility EDF is constructing 1,5 GW of renewable energy projects across 11 sites in South Africa – including solar PV, wind, battery storage and a main transmission substation for Eskom – under its newly launched international brand, EDF Power Solutions.
EDF Power Solutions is a unified entity combining EDF Renewables and EDF Group’s International Division. The South African projects will serve public and private clients with commissioning expected between late 2025 and 2026, according to Tristan de Drouas, Vice-President of EDF Power Solutions (Southern Africa). Around 40% of project value is expected to be sourced locally.
The portfolio includes the Koruson 1 and 2 clusters, comprising six wind farms in the Northern and Eastern Cape provinces: Phezukomoya, San Kraal, Coleskop, Umsobomvu, Mooi Plaats, and Hartebeesthoek. These sites are supported by a new main transmission substation under construction for integration into Eskom’s grid.
EDF is also developing the Umoyilanga virtual power plant, which links two geographically distant sites – Avondale (solar and storage) in the Northern Cape and Dassiesridge (wind and storage) in the Eastern Cape – to provide 75 MW of dispatchable power to Eskom.
The company’s 77 MW/308 MWh Oasis 2 battery project was awarded under Bid Window 2 of the Battery Energy Storage Independent Power Producer Procurement Programme.
EDF Power Solutions is also pursuing hydropower opportunities in Lesotho and the wider Southern African region in line with objectives outlined in South Africa’s Integrated Resource Plan. Projects are currently underway in Malawi, Mozambique and Madagascar in addition to the recently commissioned 420 MW Nachtigal hydropower plant in Cameroon.
